You know when you’re in the car wash, and you see the sign that says if there’s a problem honk your horn?  For years and years I wondered what it’d be like to be stuck in the car wash and actually need to do that.  So imagine my surprise when it turned out to be me the other day.

I was happily sitting in the car, watching the big round brushes soap up and then rinse off the car, and then it was time to move forward to the dryer.  I did that and was kind of annoyed as the bay door remained closed so I couldn’t inch my way out and allow all sides of the car to get hit by the hot air.

Finally the clock had ticked down to zero, the door remained closed and I could see a car waiting to come in, however thankfully that door didn’t open either.  I got out of my car and was wondering what to do, and was starting to imagine myself standing there receiving the brushes full of soapy water if the other door did open.

I got back into my car and honked.  Waited and honked, and wondered what on Earth was going to happen next.  I got back out of the car and the nice East Indian man who runs the garage came in and asked, “what do you have a problem with?” and I explained I couldn’t get out.

He simply reached under the bay door and forced it open and I drove out, heart pounding from the experience.  Now I know what happens if there’s a problem in the car wash, though I imagined it more along the lines of the soapy stuff not turning off and being there for hours.

Here’s some excellent news.  Even though it’s still very cold, I noticed there’s life in both of my bee hives.  The large, older hive has quite a bit of activity, and the small, new hive has just a few bees buzzing around.  I have the pollen patties all ready to put inside, but it has to be at least 10 degrees C or they’ll hate the cold air.

Syl the elderly handyman never did return my honey extractor, so not sure if he’ll turn up with it one of these days or not.  If he doesn’t, I’ll be just as glad as I think I might bite the bullet and buy an automatic one.  God knows, if both hives do well I should have quite a bit of honey this year.

And the extractor I have is almost completely useless as one can only spin two frames at a time, and then it’s a helluva mess getting the honey out of the bottom of that drum.  Whoever designed that thing should be hunted down and shot.

Last year I ordered dahlias from Connie’s Dahlias in Nanoose Bay, so I’m looking forward to seeing what they do.  I dug through the snow in early November to dig out mine but there’s always some that don’t make it through the winter.  They’re my favourite flower so I’m going to go big with them.

My dear old cat Mango, aged 14 in two weeks, hasn’t showed up and it’s a bit of a worry given he’s almost always around due to his age.  Wednesday the marauding tuxedo cats have their spaying and neutering.  I don’t need to be locked in a car wash as I find I can have nervous breakdowns all on my own, just from pet ownership.